stansel



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. J. STANSEL. AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC ALARM-V v No. 552,733. Patented Jan; 7, 1896.

(No Modei.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

T. J. STANSEL. AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC ALARM.

No. 552,733. Patented Jan. 7, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. STANSEL, OF LAREDO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO A. VINSLOV AND A. THAISON, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC EL ECTRIC ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,733, dated January 7', 1896.

Application filed June 1, 1895. Serial No. 551,401. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. STANSEL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Laredo, in the county of Webb and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Electric Alarms, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide automatic means for sounding alarms in rooms of houses or hotels,mines, ships,shops or the like, whereby persons may be alarmed, called or signaled at any hour or minute of the day or night; furthermore, in providing an electric switchboard, which, in combination with an electrically-comicctcd clock, will produce an alarm, call orsignal at a predetermined time.

Finally, the object of the invention is to produce such an automatic alarm which will prove durable and efficient and at the same time simple and comparatively inexpensive.

\V ith. these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel details of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein like letters denote corresponding parts in the several views, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View of the switchboard connected with the clock battery and bell. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a portion of the switchboard. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the clock and a section of the switchboard. Fig. 4: is a view of the rear of the clock.

In the drawings, A is the switchboard, made of hard wood, of an inch or an inch and a quarter thickness, in length according to the number of rooms to be alarmed, and in width according to the number of times in each hour it is desired to sound the alarm.

It takes one perpendicular metal bar B for each room to be alarmed, as shown on the switchboard, which bar must not come in contact with any other metal on the switchboard. This bar should be constructed both thin and narrow and securely fastened to the board. The connecting-levers O are fastened to the horizontal bars D so as to come in contact with the vertical bars and form the connection at this point, which sounds the alarm of the room indicated in the column so connected at the hour and minute shown at the left margin of the switchboard as appears therefrom for the bar thus connected. The rooms thus represented upon the face of the switchboard, as shown by the drawings, are numbered from one to sixteen, beginning at the upper lefthand corner and extending across the face thereof to the right, as more particularly shown in the drawings. For instance, if it is desired to sound the alarm in room No. 8 at eight oclock, you will run down the column of figures on the left margin of the board representing the hours and minutes to the figure S, then run to the right on the horizontal bars to the perpendicular represented by the figure 8, when you will throw the lever and form the electric connection, which sounds the alarm in room 8 at eight oclock, and so on for any room at any hour or minute desired.

The automatic electric alarm, when constructed as above indicated and hereinafter mentioned, is operated by the force of electricity and regulated by a clock attachment, as shown by the drawings. The wires employed in the construction and operation of the invention are all insulated.

The clock may be attached to the switchboard or not, and may be of any make or size. The dial must be made of some material non-conductive in its ch aracter-hard rubber, for instance. In the dial are set projecting pins G, which extend through the face thereof, and are attached to wires that connect them with horizontal bars on the switchboard. The outer end of the pins G on the face of the dial are bent in the direction that the clock-hands move, and are so constructed as to admit the passage of the hour-hand over the same, touching eachpin G as it passes, as shown by the drawings.

Projecting pins II are set in the dial, as pins G, only more on the outer circle thereof, as shown by the drawings, and so set and 0011- structed therein as to admit the passage of the minute-hand over the same, coming in contact therewith as it passes. The opposite ends of the pins H are all connected to one and the same wire, which extends to the electric power, thus making the connection. These pins G and H are so constructed and arranged in and upon the face of the clockdial that only the hour-hand comes in contact with the pins G, while the minute-hand alone touches the pins II in their respective revolutions, it being understood that the minute-hand is curved so as not to make contact with the pin G. These projecting pins G and H are attached to the clock-dial, as will be observed from the drawings, so as to sound the alarm every hour, if desired, or a switchboard of increased size may be employed and connection made every halfhour. It will be observed from the drawings that the hourhand is in contact with the projecting pin at the five-oclock mark, while the minute-hand is at the same time in contact with the pro jecting pin II at the twelve-oclock mark, thus forming through the medium of the clock-hands a complete circuit for the operation of the electric current, which sounds the alarm at the hour and minute indicated of any room in the building, or all the alarms in every room at the same time if desired.

To increase the number of times the alarm is to be sounded each hour, you have only to increase the number of horizontal bars E 011 the face of the switchboard and projecting pins G and II on the face of the dial with their respective wire connections, as shown in the drawings. The projecting pins G and H must be so constructed in and upon the face of the dial as indicated in the drawings, so that each hand of the clock will come in contact with its respective pin at the hour and minute desired to sound the alarm, and thus it is seen by increasing the number of horizontal bars and projecting pins G and H with their respective wire connections the alarm may be sounded every five minutes. The hands of the clock, forming, as they do, a connecting-link for the conduct of electricity, should be made of metal of high conductive character.

Connection with the battery h is made through the longitudinal bar 6, which is arranged upon the upper end of the board, and has connection with the bells i in the apart ments, and at one end of this bar connection is made with one pole of the battery while the opposite pole of the battery is connected through the clock, as fully shown.

In View of the foregoing description the objects and advantages as well as the operation and arrangement will be understood, and it will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of the construction and proportions of the switchboard, and yet the spirit pf my invention will not be departed from.

Having fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to obtain by Letters Patent, is-

A switch board consisting of a suitable base, a series of metallic strips embedded in the base, a second series of metallic strips arranged at right angles thereto, crank levers pivoted to the under strips at points between the intersecting upper strips, said crank lever making contact with the top strips, a bar on the upper edge of the switch board connected with the battery suitable connections between a bell and the bar, connections between the bell and the upper metallic strips, in combination with a clock having a series of wires protruding on the face, and connecting with the lower metallic strips, the minute hand making electric connections when in contact with the wires on the face, a second series of wires protruding in a manner to make contact with the hour hand and con.- neeted with the battery, as and for the pur pose described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. S ANSEL.

\Vitnesses:

\VM. FULTON, L. S. ANDREWs. 

